Aerosmith Biography

Aerosmith is an American hard rock band,
sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's
Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their unique style, rooted in blues-based
hard rock, has also come to incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, glam,
and R&B, which has inspired legions of rock artists that came after them.
They are the bestselling American hard rock band of all time, having sold
150 million albums worldwide, including 66.5 million albums in the United
States alone. They also hold the record for the most gold and
multi-platinum albums by an American group. The band has scored 21 Top 40
hits on the Billboard Hot 100, nine #1 Mainstream Rock hits, four Grammy
awards, and ten Video Music Awards. They were inducted into the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.



The band was formed in Boston,
Massachusetts in 1970. Guitarist Joe Perry and bassist Tom Hamilton,
originally in a band together called the Jam Band, met up with singer
Steven Tyler, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarist Ray Tabano, and formed
Aerosmith. By 1971, Tabano was replaced by Brad Whitford, and the band
began developing a following in Boston. They were signed to Columbia
Records in 1972 and released a string of multi-platinum albums, beginning
with their 1973 eponymous debut album. In 1975, the band broke into the
mainstream with the album Toys in the Attic, and their 1976 follow-up Rocks
cemented their status as hard rock superstars. By the end of the 1970s,
they were among the most popular hard rock bands in the world and developed
a loyal following of fans, often referred to as the "Blue Army". However,
drug addiction and internal conflict took its toll on the band, which
resulted in the departures of Perry and Whitford, in 1979 and 1981
respectively. They were replaced by Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay. The band
did not fare well between 1980 and 1984, releasing a lone album, Rock in a
Hard Place, which was a critical and commercial flop. Although Perry and
Whitford returned in 1984 and the band signed a new deal with Geffen
Records, it wasn't until the band sobered up and released 1987's
Permanent Vacation that they regained the level of popularity they had
experienced in the 1970s. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, the band
scored several hits and won numerous awards for music from the
multi-platinum albums Pump (1989), Get a Grip (1993), and Nine Lives
(1997). After 38 years of performing, Aerosmith continues to maintain a
high level of popularity and success and continues to tour and record music
to this day.